IN MY KITCHEN, SUMMER 2026

Posted in In My Kitchen by sallybr

In My Kitchen posts are hosted by Sherry, from Sherry’s Pickings. Please visit her site to see what everybody else is sharing this month. I join four times each year, on the first day of January, April, July and October. If you are a food blogger, consider taking part of this fun event. It is a chance to share those little things you bought or received as gifts and that make your life in the kitchen easier.

Starting with gifts….

From Monique, my friend and volunteer of all things homeless and meals-on-wheels, a set of kitchen cloths that celebrate the loves of my life, Dalmatians! My heart flipped, thank YOU, Monique!

In our kitchen…

Black lime powder, something I had about online, and decided I had to bring home to play with. Stay tuned for my first recipe using it, if all goes according to plan, should be the next post in the blog. Available here. You can use it anytime and anywhere you want a sharp citric taste without adding any liquid.

In our kitchen…

A huge pizza peel, which we bought after visiting my stepson in San Diego. He and his wife make pizza often, and I was in love with their peel, so I ordered one for us. Pretty big and very efficient! This brand is truly the best.

In our kitchen…

I splurged. Bought this super cool set of bamboo steamer + steamer pan. I want to learn and make Chinese dumplings and steamed bao, as part of the expansion of my horizons after retirement, and I firmly believe you need the right tools for the job. So that’s that. I got mine on eBay, but it is not available anymore, so I found the exact same product on Evil Empire, in case you are interested (click here).

In our kitchen…

If you love Nutella, but hate the potential harm that industry causes to the environment, here is an alternative for you that is equally delicious, but environmentally-friendly: SOOM Sesame Spread. You might be able to find it in stores such as Whole Foods and Marshall’s, but of course, it is “there” too (click here).

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In our kitchen…

Shiitake mushroom powder, a great product to add to sauces, stir-fries, meatballs, for that added funky-umami flavor that can be quite pleasing to the palate. Available here.

In our kitchen…

A blend of grains and seeds sold by King Arthur Flour (click here). I’ve been adding it to sourdough, in my basic formula of 500g total flour, adding about 25g of this product. It does not affect the texture and I love the taste, slightly richer than a plain sourdough bread.

In our kitchen…

Little sugar decorations I bought for cookies a couple of months ago, but had a few leftover. They came in handy to celebrate the beginning of the World Cup of Soccer with chocolate-covered pretzels… Available here.

In our kitchen….

These are low-carb lupin flakes that can do the job of bread crumbs. I don’t follow a particularly strict low-carb approach, but often will search for ways to reduce them without compromising taste. I was intrigued by this product and very recently bough it, but have not tried it yet. Stay tuned I am just worried that there will be some after taste, but the reviews online seem quite stellar. We shall see…

In our kitchen…

Something new to me, just like vanilla paste can substitute for vanilla extract, this is a lemon version. Very good, I’ve used it in cookies and buttercream. Highly recommend it, I think Nielsen-Massey is the only company that makes it, I love their stuff.

But now, it is time to get our furry friends to bark hello, they have been anxiously waiting, so without further ado, let’s go over their shenanigans.

Life has been pretty awesome, now that our humans are retired… they hang out with us more often, take us for longer walks, and even golfing is back in our routine…

Prince is a model golfing companion, but unfortunately the same cannot be said about his sister. She often runs wild after squirrels, bunny rabbits, birds, loose leaves blown by the wind, and the eventual lonely golfer trying to practice putting. We only take them when the golf course is closed, but she manages to generate chaos no matter what.

What if I give you kisses????

Well, I guess it is impossible not to forgive her, who can stay mad at that sweet face?
Even if sometimes she chooses the goofy path?

Star really gets a pass on a lot of naughtiness that girl… She defaced a poor pig that used to squeak when gently squeezed, turning him into a horror freaky creature, silenced for eternity.

And what was the consequence of this act of unparalleled brutality?

Full disclosure: Phil went on a shopping expedition to find the exact same piggy,
because “she needs a new one”.

Prince wants to know what does he get for being such a good boy?

Well, he gets to be the Official Kitchen Helper!

He is also the official golf-watching-TV-companion for Phil, and will sit and watch the longest of games like the very best buddy…

But maybe better than all that? They both get Homemade Puppacinos!

What can we say? Life has been good at The Kingdom of Tatarrax, even if Star gets into heavy tantrum mode when she finishes her chewy way ahead of her brother (sigh). Not sure where she gets the Drama Queen personality….

She is also expert at catching food mid-air, something Mr Picky Eater Prince does only reluctantly.

We are indeed very different,
but here’s is how our life is going to be….

See you in the Fall, friends! Until then, enjoy each minute of your life, we’ll do the same…

1 YEAR AGO: In My Kitchen, Summer 2025

2 YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, Summer 2024

3 YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, Summer 2023

4 YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, Summer 2022

5 YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, July 2021

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7 YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, June 2019

8 YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen – July 2018

9 YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, July 2017

10 YEARS AGO: Secret Recipe Club: Falafel and a Bonus Recipe

11 YEARS AGO: Chocolate Toffee Banana Bread

12 YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, June 2014

13 YEARS AGO: Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

14 YEARS AGO: Baked Coconut and “The Brazilian Kitchen”

15 YEARS AGO: Honey-Glazed Chicken Legs

16 YEARS AGO: French-Style Rolls

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28Jun2026

PAPRIKA SOURDOUGH

Posted in Breads by sallybr

For this super simple sourdough formula, I wanted the outside to give a hint of what’s inside, so I dusted the dough with red yeast powder before scoring it with a combination of razor blade and scissors. I really like the look, and it tasted wonderful!

PAPRIKA SOURDOUGH
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

375g white bread flour
25g spelt flour
70g sourdough starter at 80% hydration (you can use 100% if you prefer)
285g water
8g salt
1 to 2 tsps paprika

for rubbing on surface:
red yeast powder (I used this product)

Mix all ingredients in the bowl of a KitchenAid type mixer fitted with the dough hook. Knead gently for about 4 minutes (first or second speed maximum).

Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl and do a bulk fermentation with 4 to 5 folds made 45 minutes apart. Before you start the fermentation , remove a very small amount of dough to a small glass container (like those that hold spices), and mark where the level of the dough is with a permanent marker. Keep that at room temperature to monitor fermentation.

After the last folding cycle, keep an eye on the fermentation using the small vial. Ideally you want to let the dough ferment until it is double in size. Depending on the day, temperature of your kitchen, it might take 8 hours or more.

Once bulk fermentation is over, shape the dough as a boule and place in a banneton. Move it to the fridge, covered, and leave it there overnight.

Next day, freeze the dough for 30 minutes in the banetton, to make it easier to score later. Invert the dough on a paper liner, sprinkle red yeast powder all over, rubbing it gently. Score with a sharp razor blade making a grid, and cut the edges with small scissors.

Bake in a Dutch oven with the lid on at 450F for 30 minutes, open and allow the bread to brown for a further 15 minutes.

Cool completely over a rack before slicing.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I love the red yeast powder because it does not fade much during baking, even if you generate steam by keeping the lid closed in the beginning of the bake. Plus, the color is exactly that of paprika, which is what I was hoping for.

My original plan was to add a little oat flake at the center of each square, but after adding the first three, I lost my Zen. Removed those and said to myself “maybe next time”…..

You cannot quite tell it has paprika, but it gets this sightly more complex flavor, plus the soft hint of color in the crumb makes is special. A lovely loaf, highly praised by the husband!

1 YEAR AGO: Spaetzle, a Classic Made Lighter

2 YEARS AGO: Chicken Roll-ups with Asparagus

3 YEARS AGO: Flower-Shaped Dinner Rolls

4 YEARS AGO: Pride Macarons

5 YEARS AGO: Blood Orange Macarons

6 YEARS AGO: One-Two-Three Macarons

7 YEARS AGO: Marshmallow Macarons

8 YEARS AGO: Fujisan Bread

9 YEARS AGO: Air-Fried Tomatoes with Hazelnut Pesto & Halloumi Cheese

10 YEARS AGO: Red Velvet Layered Cake

11 YEARS AGO: Lemon-Lavender Bars

12 YEARS AGO: Quinoa Fried Rice

13 YEARS AGO: Carrot Flan with Greens and Lemon Vinaigrette

14 YEARS AGO: The Secret Recipe Club: Granola Bars

15 YEARS AGO: Awesome Broccolini

16 YEARS AGO: A Twist on Pesto

17 YEARS AGO: Ciabatta: Judging a bread by its holes

24Jun2026

LAVENDER-LEMON COOKIES, TWO WAYS

Posted in Cookies by sallybr

One cookie dough, two outcomes. Rolled out and cut in circles, or baked in a silicone mold, then covered with chocolate. This approach is similar to a strawberry version I made not too long ago (check it out here).

LAVENDER-LEMON SUGAR COOKIE
(inspired by 100 Cookies, by Sarah Kieffer)

1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon culinary lavender
zest of 1 lemon
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon lemon extract or paste
2 cups all-purpose flour

for the glaze:
1/3 cup milk (you won’t need the full amount)
1/8 tsp lemon extract
1 + 1/2 cup powdered sugar

to coat the roses:
compound chocolate, white
purple oil-soluble food dye, tiny amount

sprinkles to decorate the cutout cookies (optional)

In the bowl of a food processor, process the granulated sugar, lavender and lemon zest together until the lavender buds are broken down. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the lavender-sugar and salt, and beat again on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla, and mix on low speed until incorporated. Add the flour and mix on low speed until just combined. Remove the dough, form into a circle and place in the fridge for 1 hour.

Roll the cookie dough and cut circles, about 3 inches in diameter. Use a portion of the dough to form small balls and stick in a rose shaped silicone mold. Bake the cookies in a 350F oven, circles until lightly golden at the edges (about 15 minutes), small roses until firm to the touch, it might take a little longer than the cutout cookies.

To finish the little rose cookies: Once the roses are cold, place the mold in the freezer for 10 minutes and then remove the baked cookies to a rack. Wash the mold, dry well. Melt white compound chocolate, divide in two portions. Leave one white, dye the other purple (using very little oil-soluble color). Marble them together, pour into the mold and immediately stick the shaped cookies. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes, un-mold and if needed shave the bottom with a Microplane to tidy the edges.

To finish the rolled out cookies: make a glaze mixing the powdered sugar with milk and lemon extract until the consistency is right, not too thick, not too thin. Add the milk, a little bit at a time to the powdered sugar. Coat the baked, room temperature cookies with the glaze, then add sprinkles to decorate, if so desired. Let it set for a couple of hours.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: These cookies are very flavorful, the lavender won’t be too pronounced, just right. In the cookbook, she uses a different type of glaze, that did not work very well for me, and she sprinkled the cookies with lavender, that was a bit much for my taste. Do what you feel agrees with your tastebuds.

It is not very easy to get the chocolate coating to be fully smooth, at least I seem to have some problems with it. Maybe pouring the chocolate while warmer and banging the mold a bit on the countertop could help, but keep in mind you’ll need to work reasonably fast, as you will have several cookies to coat at once. I would not try to make more than eight at a time. Even if not fully smooth, these are delicious and I love the way they turned out…

1 YEAR AGO: Spaetzle, a Classic Made Lighter

2 YEARS AGO: Chicken Roll-ups with Asparagus

3 YEARS AGO: Flower-Shaped Dinner Rolls

4 YEARS AGO: Pride Macarons

5 YEARS AGO: Blood Orange Macarons

6 YEARS AGO: One-Two-Three Macarons

7 YEARS AGO: Marshmallow Macarons

8 YEARS AGO: Fujisan Bread

9 YEARS AGO: Air-Fried Tomatoes with Hazelnut Pesto & Halloumi Cheese

10 YEARS AGO: Red Velvet Layered Cake

11 YEARS AGO: Lemon-Lavender Bars

12 YEARS AGO: Quinoa Fried Rice

20Jun2026

CROQUE MADAME, RICE PAPER VERSION

Posted in Pizzas & Small Dishes by sallybr

When we lived in Paris, having a “croque madame” or a “croque monsieur” was pretty much a weekly event. Thick, crusty bread, with cheese, ham, bechamel sauce, a tomato or fried egg on top. This is a much lighter version and quite fun to make, as rice paper does the job of bread, and I omitted the bechamel sauce. Once I became interested in this method, the Algorithm Gods started flooding me with ways to use (and sometimes abuse) rice paper. I loved this little adventure so much, I might play with the concept again soon.

RICE PAPER CROQUE MADAME
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

for one serving

2 sheets of rice paper
1 cup water + 1 tablespoon white vinegar
sesame seeds to cover the extension of the rice paper
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 thin slices mozzarella cheese
1 thin slice ham
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil spray

Lay a piece of parchment paper over a baking sheet. Pour sesame seeds covering more or less the dimension of a rice paper round.

Brush both sides of a rice paper sheet with the water-vinegar mixture. Lay on top of the sesame seeds, and repeat the process with a second rice paper, placing it on top of the first. Add a little mustard to the center, brush to form a thin layer. Add the slices of cheese on top, then the ham. You can do a full slice but it is best to cut it into strips and mound them over the cheese, leaving a space at the center. Delicately fold the edges of the rice paper, enclosing the filling, but leaving the center open. Gently crack an egg in the center, season with salt and pepper. Spray some olive oil on top, and either bake at 425F for about 12 minutes, or air-fry for slightly less time.

You can use tomatoes instead of the egg, or keep it simple with ham and egg only.

Bake until crispy and the egg is cooked.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: In many versions around, the rice paper is wet with a beaten egg. I tried that, but I have this odd reaction to the smell of egg wash as it bakes. To me it is very unpleasant, even if the taste is ok in the end. I opted to brush with water/vinegar, which is better than soaking if your goal is to have a crispy outcome. Plus, it is easier to do also. The egg version is a little tricky because there is a tendency of the egg white to spill out of the center, and there is also a risk of overcooking the egg yolk. You’ll need to play with the method a bit and figure out what works best for your oven. Air-fryer is much better than regular oven, by the way.

I absolutely loved these concoctions, and will definitely be making them often for my lunch!

1 YEAR AGO: Spaetzle, a Classic Made Lighter

2 YEARS AGO: Chicken Roll-ups with Asparagus

3 YEARS AGO: Flower-Shaped Dinner Rolls

4 YEARS AGO: Pride Macarons

5 YEARS AGO: Blood Orange Macarons

6 YEARS AGO: One-Two-Three Macarons

7 YEARS AGO: Marshmallow Macarons

8 YEARS AGO: Fujisan Bread

9 YEARS AGO: Air-Fried Tomatoes with Hazelnut Pesto & Halloumi Cheese

10 YEARS AGO: Red Velvet Layered Cake

11 YEARS AGO: Lemon-Lavender Bars

12 YEARS AGO: Quinoa Fried Rice

16Jun2026

THE BEWITCHING KITCHEN TURNS 17!

Posted in Cake by sallybr

Sometimes I cannot quite believe that I’ve been doing this for seventeen years, but what is even more amazing to me, is that I still feel a wonderful thrill every time I hit “publish” on a new post. And yes, I realize I’ve said that before, after all, it’s been seventeen years of cooking and sharing joy. To celebrate the occasion, I baked a cake, but to be completely honest, there were a few issues, so I am not sharing the recipe. It comes from a pretty well-known cookbook. Enough said. Chocolate layer cake, with fudge buttercream and ganache drip. The issue was the buttercream, but I did my best to work around the problem.

Four layers of chocolate cake, filling of fudge buttercream with bits of shortbread cookies, and a drizzle of caramel sauce. After frosting the cake, a dark chocolate ganache was poured on the flat top, allowing it to drip down the sides. A little extra buttercream to make rosettes on top, chocolate sprinkles and gold for good luck.

The cake was donated whole, so I cannot show the inside, but I heard it was very rich and delicious. As to the journey of blogging, mine will definitely keep going. Phil and I are officially retired for almost a full month, and want to expand a bit my horizon on cooking in general, attempting recipes that are a bit more exotic, maybe. Let’s see how it goes. If you’ve been here from the very beginning, thank you for hanging around for so long. If you are new to my little virtual spot, I hope you’ll find plenty of things to read about and maybe make in your own kitchen. Make it bewitching. And let’s step into the 18th year of food blogging, shall we?

1 YEAR AGO: The Bewitching Kitchen turns 16!

2 YEARS AGO: The Bewitching Kitchen turns 15 years old!

3 YEARS AGO: The Bewitching Kitchen turns 14!

4 YEARS AGO: The Bewitching Kitchen turns 13!

5 YEARS AGO: The Bewitching Kitchen Turns 12!

6 YEARS AGO: The Bewitching Kitchen turns 11!

7 YEARS AGO: The Bewitching Kitchen Turns 10, and a Giveaway…

8 YEARS AGO: The Bewitching Kitchen turns 9!

9 YEAR AGO: The Bewitching Kitchen turns eight!

10 YEARS AGO: The Bewitching Kitchen Turns Seven!

11 YEARS AGO: Bewitching Kitchen Turns Six!

12 YEARS AGO: The Bewitching Kitchen turns Five!